Will Muschamp says turnover margin, big plays the key to UF success this year

GAINESVILLE – On a late October morning last season, Urban Meyer explained what was wrong with the Gators. In his final year at Florida, Meyer's team was coming off its first three-game losing streak since 1999.

Atop his list were turnover margin and a lack of big plays.

On an early August afternoon, his successor made both of those the key to UF's success in 2011. Coming off an 8-5 season, its worst since 2004, Florida and new coach Will Muschamp started practice on Saturday knowing those two stats can determine whether his first season exceeds expectations or ends up being a rebuilding year.

UF heads into camp with its first-year coach focused on finding players who can help make a difference in the only two stats Muschamp said he cared about. Finding more pass rushers and finding playmakers the goal.

"When I was in the National Football League and since then being back in college, each year as you measure it, the teams that are winning and the teams that are playing in BCS games, turnover margin and big-play ratio are the two things," he said. "That's the only stat from my position that I'm going to really harp on our players."

As Muschamp pointed out, six of the top 10 teams in turnover margin played in BCS bowls last season. All 10 teams went 7-3 in bowl games. Of the three losses, one came to another team in the top 10 of that statistical category. No team that lost the game won the turnover battle.

For Florida, the difference was obvious. The Gators held the advantage in turnovers in seven of their eight wins. (Appalachian State was the lone exception, with UF committing two turnovers to the Mountaineers' one.) In four of their five losses, the Gators lost the turnover battle.

Addressing that need is going to take finding more pass rushers from a team that ranked 11th in the SEC and tied for 86th nationally in sacks with 21.

"You have to affect the quarterback in this league," Muschamp said. "When you create one-on-ones … you have to go earn your scholarship and affect the quarterback. Not just talking in terms of sacks, but resets, resetting the QB and hits on the QB and putting the QB down."

On the other side of the ball, Florida needs more playmakers. With Jeff Demps hurt for much of last season and Chris Rainey suspended for five games, the team lacked a home-run hitter at running back for much of the year. Of Florida's 43 offensive touchdowns, 10 came on plays of 20 yards or more. Demps and Rainey accounted for six of those, and three from other players came in a 55-14 blowout of last-place Vanderbilt.

Muschamp said he and the coaches saw flashes in the spring from players who could emerge to be consistent playmakers, but he'll need to find his go-to players throughout camp.

"It's on all of our minds because everybody wants to be that go-to guy," said receiver Frankie Hammond Jr., whose 35-yard catch vs. Vanderbilt was one of those big-play touchdowns last year.

"Going into camp, nothing is set in stone and that makes everybody want to go harder and give that extra effort to be that guy."